Jon Rahm admits he is overcome with fatigue after his Masters victory as he prepares to return to the day job at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina on Thursday.
The Spanish star won his second major of his career after the Masters after bad weather meant he was forced to play 30 holes in Sunday’s closing marathon on his way to securing the coveted green jacket.
An exhausted Rahm said Wednesday he had considered skipping this week’s tournament in Hilton Head Island but wanted to honor an earlier pledge to play in the event.
When Rahm was asked if he had considered stepping down, he said, “It crossed my mind, but I made a commitment earlier this year and I want to honor that commitment.”
“I put myself in the shoes of not only the audience, but also the children. If I were one of the children, I would want to see the recent Masters champion play good or bad.”
However, Rahm admitted he may struggle to hit the ground running as he mentally and physically struggles with the after effects of his Masters win.
The Spaniard revealed he had been inundated with congratulatory messages from well-wishers, including a voicemail from tennis icon and compatriot Rafael Nadal.
“To which I was thrilled to hear, Rafael Nadal gave me a really nice voice message,” Rahm said. “I’ve seen him do incredible things, and I text him every now and then. He leaves me a really nice message.”
The adrenaline of Sunday’s win led to a sleepless night but Rahm said he expects to be firing on all cylinders by the weekend.
“I think it’s going to be unlike most tournaments,” Rahm said. “I feel like I’m going to feel better every day.
“So I think it might be a bit challenging in the beginning, but if I can do that for the first couple of days, I think by the weekend I’ll feel back to normal.
“It’s getting better every day. It was a very demanding week, a lot going on with the weather and a lot of fighting and a lot of work mentally.
“So it’s going to take a while to get to a good spot, but I’m feeling good.”
Rahm meanwhile says he’s already thinking about what he plans to put on his menu for next year’s Champions Dinner, one of the highlights of Masters week hosted by the defending champions. .
Rahm said, “I think it’s the part of the week I’ve put the most thought into.”
“Chef José Andrés is a great friend of mine, so I’ll be working with him. I also want to talk to Ollie (former Masters champion José María Olazabal) to see why we’re from the same part of Spain, he’s Let’s see if I can go another way.
“I think I’ll have one of the appetizers, which will be jambon, Spanish ham, dessert, which I won’t reveal, and wine. Everything in between is still up in the air.”
The RBC Heritage is one of the PGA Tour’s designated events, with a star-studded field vying for a $20 million purse.
Forty-one of the world’s top 50 players are in the field, although Rory McIlroy is back after missing the cut at Augusta.